Contemplative Sisters Of St John

[ExCorde]

Thank you so much for sharing your experiences, Cherie and Amy.

[littleflower3]

Does anyone know if another Bishop has taken the place of Bishop Bonfils or if there is any update on the contemplative sisters?

[petitpèlerin]

I don't know about the bishop or any formal progress in the sisters' resolving their situation. I can just offer my personal observations as a lay student at one of the community's schools in France: It appears to me that this is a spiritually solid community that just needs to get their rules and governance right in a way that will enable them to live their charism fully, and is actively working on that through blood, sweat, and tears. The contemplative sisters are beautiful, as Amy G described. I don't know the details of their problems in the past, but in the present they are devout, dignified, disciplined, humble, peaceful, and increasingly joyful (even after everything they've been through).

All three branches of the community are beautiful: the brothers are thriving (I've witnessed dozens of investitures and professions) and the apostolic sisters are bursting (more of the same, and in fact they just opened their first novitiate in the US this fall because the American girls have all but taken over the French novice house!) The contemplative sisters are . . . quieter, somber, but coming back to life. Hopefully soon they will experience their own new springtime. Please pray for them. I know a few beautiful, bright, and devout young women who are waiting for the novitiate to reopen so they can enter.

Every family has its problems but this doesn't seem to me like a dysfunctional family falling apart, it seems like a young, learning, growing one. Their problems actually remind me of the struggles and growing pains of the early Franciscans when they had to reconcile a brilliant new spirituality that the world was thirsting for with the logistics and practical realities of hundreds and thousands of fallen human beings trying to forge a new life together. But I think the Community of St John has what it takes to make it work. More importantly, it seems fairly evident from their foundations that they were willed into existence by God.

Finally, I just want to say that these brothers and sisters have embodied spiritual brotherhood and sisterhood to me in the year that I've been here. I might have to join them just so I never have to leave them. Their love runs deep. There are saints being made here.

[petitpèlerin]

I just read an article (published October 2012) regarding the situation. Here's some very rough translating (from French), paraphrasing, and condensing:

In March 2011 Pope Benedict XVI named Mgr Henri Brincard, bishop of Puy-en-Velay, pontifical commissioner of the Contemplative Sisters of St John. In February 2012 he named him pontifical delegate of the Sisters, replacing Mgr Jean Bonfils, and gave him the responsibility to govern them in His Holiness' name for the time that will be necessary.

The Holy Father is fully informed and aware of the Sisters' situation. In a private audience this June 14th 2012 he and Mgr Brincard discussed the situation and the measures to be taken in order to realize the founder's charism. Mgr Brincard is not at liberty to discuss publicly the details at this time, but a few essential points are as follows:

- The paternal solicitude of the Holy Father for the Community of Sisters should not be doubted.

- Mgr Brincard should be obeyed as the representative of the Holy Father.

- "In the name of the Holy Father, he is responsible not only to guide and protect your religious life, but also to watch over its integrity and purity. This implies the necessity to take certain initiatives and to make certain changes in order to conform to the charism of your founder, of whom the Church and the Holy Father are, in the end, the authentic interpreters and garanters."

- The will of the founder and the Holy Father, and the will of God, should be sought by the Sisters in unity and obedience.

- Mgr Brincard wishes to "move forward together in hope!"

Edited November 16, 2012 by petitpèlerin

[Orans]

[quote name='petitpèlerin' timestamp='1353025245' post='2510890']
I just read an article (published October 2012) regarding the situation. Here's some very rough translating (from French), paraphrasing, and condensing:
[/quote]

Could you, please, post a link to the complete article in French?
Thanks

[petitpèlerin]

[quote name='Orans' timestamp='1353039763' post='2511096']
Could you, please, post a link to the complete article in French?
Thanks
[/quote]

It's in a newsletter/magazine in the priory bookstore. Sorry.

[Orans]

Thank you, Petitpelerin. And thanks especially for taking the time to post the information and translating it.
Blessings!

[kg94]

I'm currently in a parish in London where the Brothers of St John are. My parish priest happens to be my spiritual director and is planning on sending me to their sisters in France. I've been told that they are about 2-3 hours from Paris, but don't actually know where they are? Does anyone have the address of the contemplative sisters there that they could pass on to me please?

 

I've been asked to read the book, "Wherever He Goes" which is the English version of the French, "Follow the Lamb", the retreat on the Gospel of St John, written by their founder, Fr Marie Dominique Philippe OP. I have actually been spending a lot of time with the brothers in Church (I happen to be a parish volunteer so pretty much do whatever they ask of me - I have a day job too, but since I work in retail and work customer service/sales hours, I spend the mornings and evening at Church with the Brothers chanting the office and going to Adoration with them. My spiritual father thinks it would be a good experience for me to visit the Sisters for a while in France, so that's why I'm wondering about the address?

 

I also run a vocations website, but haven't had a chance to do a write up on the Community of St John just yet, although that is my next project. The Vocation Operation: http://vocationoperation.blogspot.com has my own vocation story so far and that of many others.

 

GBY.

[VeniJesuAmorMi]

I'm currently in a parish in London where the Brothers of St John are. My parish priest happens to be my spiritual director and is planning on sending me to their sisters in France. I've been told that they are about 2-3 hours from Paris, but don't actually know where they are? Does anyone have the address of the contemplative sisters there that they could pass on to me please?

 

I've been asked to read the book, "Wherever He Goes" which is the English version of the French, "Follow the Lamb", the retreat on the Gospel of St John, written by their founder, Fr Marie Dominique Philippe OP. I have actually been spending a lot of time with the brothers in Church (I happen to be a parish volunteer so pretty much do whatever they ask of me - I have a day job too, but since I work in retail and work customer service/sales hours, I spend the mornings and evening at Church with the Brothers chanting the office and going to Adoration with them. My spiritual father thinks it would be a good experience for me to visit the Sisters for a while in France, so that's why I'm wondering about the address?

 

I also run a vocations website, but haven't had a chance to do a write up on the Community of St John just yet, although that is my next project. The Vocation Operation: http://vocationoperation.blogspot.com has my own vocation story so far and that of many others.

 

GBY.

 

I tried to find an address and came across this site: http://stjean.com/les-soeurs-contemplatives-de-saint-jean

 

It says of the different priories they have and where they are, but still I didn't see any address for any of them. Maybe you could find something on the webpage that would be helpful. :)

[petitpèlerin]

I'm reading "Follow the Lamb" right now, too, but very slowly, since I'm reading it in French, and since every sentence is profound and sends me straight into a meditation.

The contemplative sisters' house of formation is in St Jodard, next door to the brothers' novitiate:

Soeurs Contemplatives de Saint Jean
Prieuré Saint Joseph
42590 Saint Jodard
France

I don't know if that's the place your spiritual director has in mind. Did he say which priory? St Jodard is about 5 hours from Paris. A well-visited priory of sisters is at Pellevoisin, which is a Marian apparition and pilgrimmage site 3 hours south of Paris. I believe the sisters run a guest house there, while the brothers run the shrine. I'm not sure of the sisters' address there, but I found this page of the brothers' addresses: http://www.stjean.com/prieures-adresses

To get a sense of the sisters' everyday life it might be good to visit one of the non-formation priories; to talk with someone about formation it might be good to come to St Jodard. You know there's a priory of contemplative sisters in Northern Ireland now, too? I'm sure the brothers at your parish know more about it than I do.

Edited January 29, 2013 by petitpèlerin

[kg94]

Hi,

 

Thanks for the link and also for the address. I was talking to the Brothers today, not my spiritual director, but the other brothers and they said that the "one in France" that they usually talk about is the one in St Jodard. I don't know if that's where my SD is planning on sending me, however, once I've sorted some stuff out with work I will be able to check with him for all the details regarding the trip.

 

I think my SD wants me to go to France for a few reasons - one, because I know too many of the sisters from different congregations in the UK, and he felt that it would be best to send me abroad so that I am really away from all the people I know who could influence me, because believe me, if I go to convents in the UK, which I do on a regular basis, then you will find I know someone who knows someone else etc, and I won't be able to fully focus on the whole reason my SD is sending me to France, "to really see what contemplative religious life is like", I dare say, he's very careful not to push me in one direction or the other when he always adds "it would be a good experience, even if not necessarily to do with vocation"...I'm not saying anything for now - read my blog for discerning thoughts...

 

As for reading 'Follow the Lamb', there are a few things that stick in my mind: "Keep both eyes on God, not one on God and one on your neighbour, beware of useless judgements" - that is important as in order to really discern, the only person who can truly know if something is for them, or whether they are making the right decision is YOU, no one else, not even one's SD can tell you where is right for you. In keeping in mind that it is between you and God, I find it is much easier to contemplate and meditate and pray about God's will for each of us. We all have a vocation, but where we are called to is for us to discern. Something my SD always says to me is that you don't have to go through set prayers or meditations etc, you can just say something like, "Lord, this is how things are right now, this is what I think, this is what I want, but only if it's right for me according to your will, or else lead me to where you want me to be" (that would be the generalisation of the specific things he said to me, obviously I am keeping my conversations at a fairly private level, as you understand).

Another thing that stuck me was about the retreat book was this: The Three Foods: The Word of God, The Eucharist, The Will of God - these for me, are three of the most important things to bear in mind in living out our faith. Without bearing these three things in mind, we are going nowhere. We are wondering around like "Sheep without a shepherd". I will write more on that when I get the chance.

Email me if you like: vocationoperation@live.co.uk, scholar-kg@hotmail.com

If you are in the UK, you can also ring me, but email me first and I will give you my number.

 

GB

[petitpèlerin]

I just love Fr Philippe's writing, and his theological insights. I would love to read more of your thoughts on the three foods/nourishments if you post them.

At the moment I'm also reading "L'Etoile du Matin" ("Star of the Morning") and had my mind blown this morning by his insight into Mary at the Cross and how she participates in Christ's priesthood. When the Roman soldier pierced his heart and blood and water flowed out, it was the final part of his offering, giving the last bit of himself that he had, but his body was already dead, his spirit already gone from it, so it was Mary who offered as priest that final, most crucial part of Christ's sacrifice to the Father. Wow. Fr Philippe notes Simeon's prophesy that a sword would pierce her heart: the corporal offering is entirely Christ's, but Mary participates in it interiorly.

A great place to consider visiting for a real taste of the contemplative life and no distraction is the priory at Cenves. It's near Macon, in the hills on the edge of the Beaujolais and Burgundy (think vineyards), in a tiny village on a hillside with nothing around but the wind. It's not very far from St Jodard, so if you go to St Jodard and you have time you may want to visit both. I visited Cenves briefly in the fall and was sort of blown away, by the silence and by the sisters. I get the sense that they're living the contemplative vocation of St John in a profound way up there.

Soeurs de Saint-Jean
Maison Saint-Joseph
69840 Cenves
France

If you come to St Jodard and want to meet up with another native English-speaker, feel free to message me. I'm a student here.

Edited January 31, 2013 by petitpèlerin

[kg94]

I just love Fr Philippe's writing, and his theological insights. I would love to read more of your thoughts on the three foods/nourishments if you post them.

At the moment I'm also reading "L'Etoile du Matin" ("Star of the Morning") and had my mind blown this morning by his insight into Mary at the Cross and how she participates in Christ's priesthood. When the Roman soldier pierced his heart and blood and water flowed out, it was the final part of his offering, giving the last bit of himself that he had, but his body was already dead, his spirit already gone from it, so it was Mary who offered as priest that final, most crucial part of Christ's sacrifice to the Father. Wow. Fr Philippe notes Simeon's prophesy that a sword would pierce her heart: the corporal offering is entirely Christ's, but Mary participates in it interiorly.

A great place to consider visiting for a real taste of the contemplative life and no distraction is the priory at Cenves. It's near Macon, in the hills on the edge of the Beaujolais and Burgundy (think vineyards), in a tiny village on a hillside with nothing around but the wind. It's not very far from St Jodard, so if you go to St Jodard and you have time you may want to visit both. I visited Cenves briefly in the fall and was sort of blown away, by the silence and by the sisters. I get the sense that they're living the contemplative vocation of St John in a profound way up there.

Soeurs de Saint-Jean
Maison Saint-Joseph
69840 Cenves
France

If you come to St Jodard and want to meet up with another native English-speaker, feel free to message me. I'm a student here.

 

I'm hoping to see if I can get there for like possibly the first week in April might be possible with my work schedule, but I would have to discuss that with my SD in my next meeting with him end of Feb. I would like to meet up, although I am not sure what my schedule will look like as the Brothers already keep me under a strictly disciplined timetable with daily mass, the office and adoration as well as silent prayer times and other devotions. I am part of the confraternity of our Lady of Mount Carmel and was invested in the Brown Scapular so the Brothers make sure I pray the Rosary everyday, but slowly and really contemplate the mysteries. I am usually in Church at 6.30am until about 9am, then I work between 10-6, or 11-8, and then go back to Church usually until 9.30-10pm, sometimes even later than that. I live a 3-5 min walk from Church and spend my days off in the parish under obedience to my SD and parish sister. What's funny is I even got locked in a couple times and considered using the processional cross to pick the lock. I gtg back to work now, but will write more when I am back at work online next week as I have no internet access at home.

[Gabriela]

Can anyone tell me what the problems have been? Or direct me to an English article where the conflict has been discussed?

[petitpèlerin]

I've never seen anything written in English on it. What I've gathered from people who are connected to the community is that it was a rather complicated situation that I still don't grasp entirely myself. Most fundamentally, I heard it had to do with difficult transitions in the sisters' internal leadership, resulting in divided loyalties which have been very difficult to resolve. And it has been extremely difficult since the founder died just a few years ago, which always leaves a community unsettled with issues to work out for a while as they adjust to living without him. Another thing I've heard is an issue is the contemplative sisters' rule of life, along the lines of how strictly cloistered they should be, and in what ways and to what extent they should have activities and contact outside the cloister. I would imagine there could be some quite some disagreement on this, with different legitimate opinions. It's an issue that seems natural to arise in a young contemplative community that isn't completely cloistered (i.e. they're not Poor Clares: they do grocery runs, they meet with people to give spiritual direction, they attend some classes and feast day events with their apostolic brothers and sisters, some priories host adoration for children, etc). I think what they're doing now is trying to discern carefully with the church and the community what God really wants for them, as they clarify their identity and their way of life.

 

What's never been in question to my knowledge is the community's desire to be faithful and obedient to the Church and her Pontiff. That's in the rule of St John: alliance with the Christ in Eucharist, alliance with Mary, and alliance with Peter.